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Strikers' Lisi Has Golden Boot In Sights

By lo admin, 09/19/15, 12:45PM EDT

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Strikers' Lisi Has Golden Boot In Sights

Sat Sep 19 
Written By: Kelly, Tim
 

Jessica Lisi of the Woodbridge Strikers can't help scoring goals these days.

She's literally putting the striker in the Woodbridge name.

Want proof?

Lisi banged in five goals in an 11-0 pounding of ANB Futbol women just over 10 days ago. And she scored another in the latest Woodbridge win to bring her goal tally to 19 on the season, a goal ahead of Alexandria Lamontagne of Durham in the race for the 2015 women's Golden Boot.

Since Lamontagne is already off to university, it's safe to say that Lisi will walk away with the scoring title since the next highest scorer, Kelsey Araujo of ANB, has 12 goals.

Just 17, Lisi, "has always had a nose for goal," said her long-time coach, Joe Parolini, who has guided her career for the last three or four years.

The young woman has soccer blood running through her veins. Born of an Italian father and Polish mother, she has been raised and lives in Woodbridge.

And, at just 15 years of age, Lisi was part of the Canadian Women’s Under-17 team that won a silver medal in the 2013 CONCACAF championships in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

"She knows how to play the game, has great tenacity and her shot is always something she's had," said Parolini of Lisi.

The Woodbridge coach uses Lisi both in the League1 Ontario Strikers squad, and also with the Woodbridge under-18 women's team, and said she is actually better playing in the senior team.

"Jess… is still maturing as a player and she plays two different styles, with her own age group and also with the older players, and I think she's better with the older players; she tries to play simpler with the older group and doesn't try to carry the team. She has actually scored more goals in League1 than in her own age group," said Parolini.

He explained Lisi tries a bit too hard with players her own age to score and puts too much pressure on herself to carry the play.

At the League1 level, Lisi trusts her teammates more but Parolini said that's easy because he considers the Strikers midfield to be the best in the loop.

"They're (Woodbridge midfield) smarter, they're more mature, and they've been around. They've been on higher national teams; they feed her the ball and provide smarter runs for the player to run on to so Jess benefits with playing with older, more mature players," said Parolini.

He added that Lisi is not just a scorer but a good playmaker too.

"She's got lots of set-ups, lots of assists this year. She takes a lot of our corners from the left side for in-swingers and she's one of four girls that I let take free kicks as well."

It sounds like Parolini is describing the complete attacking package, and he puts a bow on it.

"She's got excellent feet, good dribbling skills and will take players on, one-on-one, but she will make plays too," he said.

"She's learning all the time and improving and getting better."